BRECKSVILLE, Ohio, U.S.A – Education often is heralded as one of the cornerstones to the growth of the trenchless industry. In Canada, one of the organizations leading the charge to further educate the industry, municipalities and all those who can benefit from trenchless technologies is the Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) in Waterloo.

One of the highlights of CATT’s program calendar is the biennial Trenchless Technology Road Show in Niagara Falls, Ontario, which takes place at the Scotiabank Convention Centre, May 18-19. The show is an opportunity to educate municipal staff, consultants, contractors and engineers about the benefits, latest technology, trends and best practices, of trenchless methods and technologies in sewer and water pipeline rehabilitation.

The Niagara Falls Road Show – co-sponsored by Benjamin Media Inc., publisher of Trenchless Technology, Trenchless Technology Canada and TBM: Tunnel Business Magazine – is easily the largest Canadian show dedicated to the trenchless industry and it has grown for 2016, with more than 60 exhibitors and 10 technical session tracks.

The theme for the Niagara Falls show, “Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind,” is a saying many in the trenchless industry hear. Despite the intricate network of pipes running beneath their feet, the fact remains that most people turn on their tap, expect water to come out and then disappear down the drain — all without the thought of where it came from and where it is going.

“These are very essential services for people, as well as the province and country,” says Dr. Mark Knight, P.Eng., CATT executive director. “Without working water systems you don’t have industry and business.”

These systems are deteriorating all across the country and as urban areas become more congested and municipal and provincial budgets get tighter, trenchless methods offer a viable alternative to open-cut construction. The show’s technical sessions will highlight many of these methods.

The extra space gives attendees the ability to network and dine in one location. For the first time in this show’s history, exhibitors will have 10×10 booths. The response, Knight says, has been so great that the initial allotment of exhibit space sold out and organizers added 20 more exhibit spaces.

May 17, features the “Trenchless Technology 101” and “Standardized Defect Coding and Condition Classification System for Water Distribution Pipelines” short courses — led by the industry’s leading experts.